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Geelong star Steve Johnson out indefinitely after surgery

Another setback for key forward before the first round of the AFL season.

Geelong star Steve Johnson has suffered an injury setback after being forced to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee ahead of round one.

Johnson was already set to miss the blockbuster clash with Hawthorn due to suspension, but in a further blow to the Cats’ early season hopes, the club has listed his time away from the game as indefinite.

Football manager Neil Balme said it was a tough decision to have the surgery, but hoped Johnson and the team would benefit from it later in the year.

“There was a possibility that Steve could manage the issue through the season, but we all felt it was a better course of action to have the procedure now so that Steve will be at 100 per cent when he returns,” Balme told News.com.au.

“We think that by having the knee cleaned up he will be fully fit when he starts to play rather than the possibility that the knee will slowly deteriorate over time forcing the surgery later in the year.”

The Cats depth has also been tested in the middle of the park with a lack of healthy ruckman forcing the club to promote Mark Bilcavs and Josh Walker from the rookie list.

Meanwhile, Geelong’s first round opponent Hawthorn placed knee victims Matt Suckling and Alex Woodward on the long-term injury list and no replacements have been named at this stage.